site.btaPolice Disrupt Fake Currency Printing Operation in Sofia

A counterfeit-currency printing operation was uncovered in Sofia, and two people were arrested, said the acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior, Georgi Kandev, in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Officers of the General Directorate Combating Organized Crime carried out searches at four addresses, where a large quantity of fake euro banknotes was discovered.

The counterfeiters communicated with clients without direct contact, using only encrypted applications, Kandev said. Deliveries were carried out via the "crypto drop" method - payment in cryptocurrency and receipt of the counterfeit banknotes at a specific location in Sofia.

All equipment used for producing the fake money was also found, including ink, watermarks, paper with security threads, a cutting guillotine, printers and a UV exposure machine.

A pretrial investigation was launched in the case.